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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28400769">Beautiful</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoneedsapublisher/pseuds/whoneedsapublisher'>whoneedsapublisher</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Love Live! School Idol Project</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Mentioned Kousaka Honoka/Sonoda Umi - Freeform, Unrequited Love, Weddings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:09:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>886</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28400769</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoneedsapublisher/pseuds/whoneedsapublisher</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Just keep smiling, and saying that it's a wonderful ceremony.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Minami Kotori/Yazawa Nico</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Beautiful</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="western">
  <span>It was a beautiful wedding.</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>It was easier to say that than Nico had thought it would be. She’d braced herself ahead of time, practicing in the mirror. Soften the corners of her eyes, let her lower lids creep up a little bit as she smiled, and say it a little softly. “It’s a beautiful wedding.”</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>She’d gotten pretty convincing, but in the end, she didn’t struggle that much to say it anyway. It really was a lovely ceremony, despite everything. Honoka looked lovely in her dress, too. Umi… well, it was just best if Nico focused on how good Honoka looked, wasn’t it? It was… better for everyone if she didn’t dwell on how good Umi looked in a tuxedo. She could just… keep her eyes on Honoka. Admire the lacy trimmings of her veil, nod approvingly at her perfect choice of footwear. That was much safer.</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>When she’d been invited to the wedding, she’d bossily appointed herself one of Honoka’s maids of honor, rather than one of Umi’s best women. “An idol like Nico looks better in a dress than a suit,” she’d insisted. “And I need to help Honoka with her makeup, obviously. She has to look her best on a day like this!”</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>She couldn’t risk being in Umi’s side of the ceremony. She didn’t want to have to brace herself for the possibility of Umi getting cold feet. She didn’t trust herself to say the right thing if Umi looked at her and asked if she was making a mistake.</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>Of course she wasn’t. Nico could tell herself that, when it didn’t matter, when admitting it didn’t cost her anything, but would she be able to say it when there was that tiny flicker of hope?</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>She didn’t want to find out.</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>So she wrapped herself up in Honoka’s side of things, focused on the fact that Honoka was getting married, and tried not to think too much about who it was to.</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>And it all worked. It was a beautiful wedding. Everything went perfectly, and even when Honoka dropped her cue cards for her vows, it was more cute than anything else as they both scrambled to pick them up, reaching for the same card and touching hands for just a moment, sharing a fond gaze.</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>And Nico had made it through. When the priest had asked for anyone to speak up, Nico had remained still. She’d held her peace, and even if she was supposed to do it forever, well, that moment had been the hardest one. The rest of forever would be smooth enough sailing in comparison.</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>Now they were all enjoying the reception, and Nico was very carefully controlling her alcohol intake to avoid being sober without risking being too loose lipped. She forced herself to watch the couples’ first dance and dutifully clapped, and then she retreated to enjoy the open bar and the spread of good food. It wasn’t better than her cooking, but if she held out for that standard she’d starve.</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>
    <span>
      <span>
        <span>...It really was done. They weren’t just dating anymore, or even just engaged. They were married. Oh, not </span>
      </span>
    </span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>
      <span>
        <span>legally</span>
      </span>
    </em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>
      <span>
        <span>, of course. They still had to get around to going overseas to get an official certificate. But even if the ceremony was symbolic, it meant as much as any legally binding formaily did. It was a commitment. It wasn’t proof that they’d never get divorced, Nico knew that, but it still had a certain… finality.</span>
      </span>
    </span>
  </span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>“<span><span>It was a beautiful ceremony, wasn’t it?”</span></span></span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>Nico turned to see Kotori next to her, taking a long drink from a champagne flute as her gaze lingered on Honoka, who was currently laughing as Umi dipped her. There was a certain unreadable flatness in Kotori’s eyes as she watched the scene. A careful neutrality.</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>“<span><span>Yeah,” Nico said. “It was.”</span></span></span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>“<span><span>I’m glad everything went well,” Kotori said. “They really deserve it.”</span></span></span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>“<span><span>Yeah,” Nico said. “They do.”</span></span></span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>The two of them fell silent. The feelings weren’t insincere, but both of them knew it was the lines they were expected to say. And anything past those lines was… dangerous. Too hard to only express the parts of their emotions that were acceptable.</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>“<span><span>...It really happened,” Nico said.</span></span></span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>“<span><span>...Yeah.”</span></span></span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>The two of them watched a while longer before Kotori downed the rest of her flute and set it down on the table, extending a hand to Nico.</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>“<span><span>Let’s dance, Nico,” she said.</span></span></span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>Nico smiled. “Are you sure?” she said. “When someone as talented as Nico takes the floor, there’s always the risk of distracting from the main event.”</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>
    <span>“</span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>
      <span>
        <span>Hmmm,” Kotori said. “Well, I suppose I’ll just have to take that chance, this time. Try not to make Honoka look </span>
      </span>
    </span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <em>
      <span>
        <span>too </span>
      </span>
    </em>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>
      <span>
        <span>bad. It is her special day, after all.”</span>
      </span>
    </span>
  </span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>“<span><span>I’ll do my best,” Nico said. “It’s Umi’s special day too, after all.”</span></span></span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>Kotori took Nico’s hand and led her onto the dance floor. They knew both sides of the dance, but it was easier to let Kotori lead, since Nico was the one wearing a dress. The steps were designed for that, after all.</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>As the music played, and they challenged themselves to dance as perfectly as they could, the two of them tried not to think too hard about the day.</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>It had been a beautiful ceremony.</span>
</p><p class="western">
  <span>And now it was over.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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